What is Public Health?

Public health as a profession is becoming more and more popular—but what exactly is it?

Here's a good way to describe the essence of public health.

In the medical field, clinicians treat diseases and injuries one patient at a time. But in public health, we prevent disease and injury. Public health researchers, practitioners and educators work with communities and populations. We identify the causes of disease and disability, and we implement largescale solutions.

For example, instead of treating a gunshot wound, we work to identify the causes of gun violence and develop interventions. Instead of treating premature or low birth-weight babies, we investigate the factors at work and we develop programs to keep babies healthy. And instead of prescribing medication for high blood pressure, we examine the links among obesity, diabetes and heart disease—and we use our data to influence policy aimed at reducing all three conditions.

In public health, our microbiologists work to find a vaccine for malaria, while our behavioral scientists research ways to discourage populations from smoking. Our environmental health scientists work to discover which foods prevent cancer, while our health policy analysts evaluate health insurance programs and make recommendations. And our epidemiologists identify trends in health and illness, looking for links, causes and interventions in areas such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and infant mortality.

Need more examples of real-life public health work? Recent projects here at the Bloomberg School include:

Identifying ways to curb bullying in schools

Delivering vitamin A to newborns in developing nations

Uncovering correlations between kidney function and heart disease

Examining secondhand tobacco smoke levels and exposure

Exploring environmental and genetic factors in autism

Investigating the consequences of antibiotic use in industrial agriculture

Developing emergency preparedness plans

Improving technologies that make clean and safe drinking water

Promoting policies that protect the global environment and sustainable practices

Using evidence to strengthen family planning, and reproductive health programs and policies

Quantifying the links between human rights abrogation and poor health

For more information about public health, you can visit the websites of Bloomberg School's many centers and institutes, or learn more about each of our 10 departments which span the many diverse areas of this exciting field.